


the joker laughs at you (don't you think?)

by SoloChaos



Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Boys In Love, Broken Noses, Cameos, Crushes, Fainting, M/M, Ridiculous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-17
Updated: 2014-02-17
Packaged: 2018-01-12 20:18:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1198281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoloChaos/pseuds/SoloChaos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joshua Dun has a nice mouth.</p><p>Tyler isn't gay, you guys.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the joker laughs at you (don't you think?)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [duplighoul](https://archiveofourown.org/users/duplighoul/gifts).



Tyler is a kind, sweet, sensitive boy. Really. His mother reminds him all the time.  
  
So he can't quite figure why Joshua Dun is so mean to him.  
  
Joshua Dun is mean. Mean, mean, mean. Mean with _really_ pretty eyes. But that's beside the point.   
  
The point is that Joshua Dun is mean to Tyler, and Tyler doesn't know why.

 

* * *

  
  
"I am sad," Tyler informs Patrick.  
  
"That's fantastic," Patrick says without much enthusiasm, still reading his history book.  
  
"I am sad because Joshua Dun is mean," Tyler says. Patrick blinks.  
  
"Josh is _mean?"_ he asks incredulously. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Joshua Dun being mean," Tyler says.  
  
"Josh isn't mean," Patrick says, very matter-of-factly. "And why are you referring to him with his full name? That's kind of weird."  
  
"You're kind of weird," Tyler returns. He is the master of comebacks.  
  
"Why's Patrick weird?" Brendon asks, wandering into the music room.  
  
"Tyler thinks that Josh is mean," Patrick tells Brendon, who frowns.  
  
"Josh isn't mean," Brendon says, sounding confused. "Josh is awesome. Almost as awesome as Spencer Smith."  
  
"Joshua Dun is mean," Tyler says, quickly so Brendon can't go off on a tangent about Spencer Smith's awesomeness.  
  
"Okay, fine," Patrick says, closing his history book. "Why is Josh mean?"  
  
Tyler flounders for a moment. "His mouth," he says finally.  
  
Patrick raises an eyebrow. "What about his mouth?"  
  
"It, like..." Tyler flaps his hands in a totally dignified manner. "It moves."  
  
"It moves," Patrick repeats.  
  
"And it like... smiles." This is far more difficult to explain than Tyler thought it would be.  
  
"Smiles," Patrick says, because he is a parrot.  
  
"And it makes me feel all..." Tyler tries to figure how to explain this. "All tingly."  
  
"Oh," Patrick says.  
  
He and Brendon exchange looks and both start giggling.  
  
"What?" Tyler demands.  
  
"Josh is mean because his smile makes you feel _tingly?"_ Brendon laughs.  
  
"Yeah, so?" Tyler asks. This doesn't seem to be going too well.  
  
"You could've told us you were gay, you know," Brendon says. "It's fine. Really."  
  
"Of course it's fine." A moment. "Wait. I'm not gay."  
  
"You're not," Brendon doesn't ask. Patrick is still laughing because he's an asshole.  
  
"No," Tyler says. "I like boobs. Boobs are..." He tries to think of all the reasons why he likes boobs. "...squishy."  
  
Patrick is near hysterics.  
  
"I totally like girls," Tyler tries to tell them. They don't listen. "Really. Girls are hot!" They're still not paying attention to Tyler. "I'M NOT GAY!" he shouts at the same moment their music teacher walks in.  
  
"Um," Patrick says.  
  
"Hi, Mr. Sanchez," Brendon says.  
  
"Really, I'm not gay," Tyler insists quietly.  
  
Mr. Sanchez just rolls his eyes. He probably deals with this kind of stuff every day.

 

* * *

  
  
Tyler and Joshua Dun don't have many classes together, which is a little strange considering it's a pretty small school.  
  
But they do have a few classes together. They have science together. And PE.  
  
Oh, PE.  
  
Tyler loathes PE. He hates it with every fiber of his very being. PE exists for the sole purpose of torturing him, Tyler's sure of it.  
  
Oh, he's good a few parts of PE. Okay, he's good at basketball. That's it. Soccer? Volleyball? Badminton? No. Just... no.  
  
Unfortunately for Tyler, the basketball unit is long past. And they have moved into soccer.  
  
Tyler cannot play soccer. Tyler can barely kick the ball in the way he means it to go.  
  
Joshua Dun, however, can play soccer.  
  
Joshua Dun can _run._ He can run and kick and score and smile stupid smiles that make Tyler's stomach flutter like he's going to throw up or something.  
  
Tyler's standing in the corner and doing his best not to look like he's completely incompetent when somebody shouts "Look out!"  
  
Tyler spins around, only to get hit directly in the face by soccer ball.  
  
He hears something crunch.  
  
"Ow," Tyler mutters from his position on the floor, reaching up to touch his nose.  
  
"Oh, shit," he hears someone say.  
  
Tyler's nose doesn't feel quite right. "Ow," he says again.  
  
Joshua Dun suddenly appears out of nowhere.  
  
"Oh, my god," he says, kneeling before Tyler. "I broke your nose."  
  
"Yes you did," Tyler tries to say, but it comes out like "Yeb yu deed."  
  
"Hold on." And before Tyler can do anything, Joshua Dun leans in and slides his nose back into place.  
  
It takes a while for Tyler to process what Joshua Dun just did.  
  
"Ow?" he says, thinking about it. "...ow!"  
  
"It would've set weird, and you'd have had to re-break it," Joshua Dun explains.  
  
The gym teacher finally appears and tells Joshua Dun to take Tyler to the nurse.

 

* * *

 

"I'm really sorry," Joshua Dun apologizes as they walk to the nurse's office, which is, for some reason, on the opposite side of the school.  
  
"For breaking my nose or for pushing it back without warning me?" Tyler asks dryly as he tries to control the amount of blood that's leaking from his nose. His hands are completely blood soaked. It's gross.  
  
"For breaking your nose." Joshua Dun suddenly takes off his shirt and hands it to Tyler. "Here."  
  
"...what?" Holy shit, Joshua Dun has abs. Tyler isn't sure why he's noticing.  
  
"Here," Joshua Dun repeats. "For your nose?"  
  
"It'll be ruined," Tyler warns.  
  
"It's fine, I hate it anyways," Joshua Dun says. He smiles, and Tyler gets that fluttery-tingly feeling again.  
  
"...thanks," he says belatedly, taking the shirt and pressing it to his nose.

 

* * *

  
  
"You can go back to class, Mr. Dun," Mrs. Edwards says as she takes out an ice pack from the freezer.  
  
"Oh, no, Coach Paulson said I have to stay with Tyler," Joshua Dun says. Tyler's too busy trying to staunch the blood coming from his nose to correct him.  
  
"All right," the nurse says. She sounds a little dubious, but mostly too tired to care.  
  
Joshua Dun sits down next to Tyler on the cot.  
  
"Pinch the bridge of your nose," he instructs, moving Tyler's hand up a little, "and look down."  
  
Tyler does. "Thanks," he mutters.  
  
"Well, it _is_ my fault," Joshua Dun says.  
  
Mrs. Edwards walks over and hands Tyler an ice pack.  
  
"Hold this over your nose," she instructs. "I called your mother. She's coming to pick you up."  
  
Tyler nods.  
  
"I'll stay with him," Joshua Dun offers.  
  
Mrs. Edwards agrees before Tyler can object.

 

* * *

 

Tyler comes into school the next day sporting bruised eyes and a very attractive nose splint.  
  
"Hot," Brendon comments as Tyler slinks into the music room for choir.  
  
"Shut it, Urie," Tyler mutters. Tyler has serious blackmail material on Brendon (mostly texts of Brendon obsessing over Spencer Smith's eyes,) so he should just shut up.  
  
Mr. Sanchez begins rehearsal before Brendon can reply.

 

* * *

 

Brendon drags Patrick and Tyler to watch soccer practice after school.  
  
"Dallon invited me," Brendon insists, but Tyler knows it's because Brendon's been trying to hook Patrick up with Pete Wentz since the beginning of time.  
  
Tyler enjoys watching Patrick's face grow red whenever Pete winks at him, until he realizes.  
  
Joshua Dun is on the soccer team.  
  
"You _asshole!"_ Tyler yelps. He stands up and points at Brendon, who makes a "what can ya do?" face.  
  
"It was a complete accident," Brendon says, because he speaks in bullshit.  
  
"I'm not gay!" Tyler says firmly. "Stop trying to set me up with Joshua Dun."  
  
"Why don't you call him 'Josh' like the rest of the world?" Patrick wonders.  
  
Tyler huffs and sits back down. Brendon may be an asshole, but there's something quite puzzlingly pleasing about watching Joshua Dun run around without a shirt.

* * *

  
  
Tyler's pretty sure that the universe hates him when he's paired up with Joshua Dun in science.  
  
That, and they're also dissecting a fetal pig.  
  
"It's tragic," Tyler moans, collapsing on his bed. Brendon, who's twirling around in Tyler's wheely-chair, nods in agreement.  
  
"Totally tragic," Brendon says. He doesn't look up from his phone.  
  
"I get to look like a girl in front of Joshua Dun, who is mean," Tyler complains. "The meanest."  
  
"Is Joshua Dun the boy who was with you when I picked you up from school the other day?" his mom calls from the other room.  
  
"Yeah," Tyler yells back. "And stop listening to my conversations."  
  
His mom just laughs.  
  
His mom is mean.  
  
"Not as mean as Joshua Dun, though," he says. Brendon ignores him.

 

* * *

  
  
Joshua Dun is not squeamish.  
  
Joshua Dun does not throw up when he cuts open a fetal pig.  
  
(Tyler doesn't either, but it's a close thing.)  
  
"Oh, hey, I didn't know the ureters were that color," Joshua Dun comments.  
  
Tyler gags a little. "Yeah, fascinating," he says weakly.  
  
Joshua Dun looks up. "Hey, are you okay?"  
  
"Fine and dandy," Tyler replies, looking everywhere but the pig that's slowly being dissected.  
  
"You look a little green," Joshua Dun says worriedly.  
  
"No, no, I am totally a healthy shade of skin like... a healthy shade of skin," Tyler says.  
  
"Are you squeamish?" Joshua Dun says. "Are you going to pass out?"  
  
"No, no," Tyler says determinedly. "I am not going to pass out." He looks down at the pig. "Oh, God."  
  
Joshua Dun casts him another worried glance, but Tyler waves it away.  
  
"We have to remove the internal organs," Joshua Dun says, and oh hey that is a dead pig. "Do you want to start or- Tyler?"  
  
"On second thought-" Tyler passes out.

 

* * *

 

Tyler obviously wasn't out for very long, because only a few people have noticed that he's on the ground.

Wait. His head's not on the ground.  
  
"Tyler?"  
  
Tyler looks up to see Joshua Dun staring at him with wide eyes, arms cradling Tyler's upper back.  
  
"Tyler?" Joshua Dun repeats.  
  
"Hi," Tyler says. "Um."  
  
"You passed out," Joshua Dun informs him.  
  
"I realized," Tyler says.  
  
The teacher finally comes to investigate why two of her students had disappeared.  
  
"Josh, could you take Tyler to the nurse?" Mrs. Black says, helping Tyler stand up.  
  
"Sure," Joshua Dun says. Before Tyler can react, Joshua Dun has slid an arm around Tyler's back, balancing him. "Come on, dude."  
  
The walk to the nurse's office is a little awkward, because Joshua Dun won't let Tyler stand on his own, but it's thankfully much shorter than the last.  
  
Also, Joshua Dun doesn't take his shirt off.  
  
"He passed out," Joshua Dun explains to the nurse, who ushers Tyler to one of the cots.  
  
"Let me see your eyes," Mrs. Edwards instructs, brandishing one of those flashlight things.  
  
"Uh, why?" Tyler asks a little warily.  
  
"To check for a concussion."  
  
"I caught him," Joshua Dun interjects. Tyler's startled into letting Mrs. Edwards shine a light into his eyes.

* * *

  
  
"Is this Joshua boy your friend?" Tyler's mom asks as she drives him home.  
  
"No. He's mean and I hate him," Tyler says.

 

* * *

  
  
"I heard you fell for Josh yesterday," Brendon says. He thinks he's so punny.  
  
"You're a douche and I hate you," Tyler informs him.  
  
Patrick doesn't say anything. Patrick's been a lot more mellow lately. Tyler suspects it's because of Pete Wentz's mouth.  
  
"He's hot, isn't he?" Brendon leers. "He's hot playing drums."  
  
"Yeah, okay, let's talk about Spencer," Tyler agrees. Brendon frowns.  
  
"We're talking about Josh," he says.  
  
"Joshua Dun doesn't play drums," Tyler says.  
  
"Dude." Brendon's staring at Tyler in open-mouthed shock. "How could you not know that your boyfriend plays drums?"  
  
"He's not my boyfriend," Tyler scowls.  
  
"Yet," Brendon winks.

 

* * *

 

Tyler might be a little gay.  
  
"Sometimes I think I'm a little gay," Tyler says.  
  
"Okay," Pete says. Tyler falls off the bleachers. "Dude, are you all right?"  
  
"Where did you come from?" Tyler demands from his position in the grass, trying to calm his racing heart down.  
  
Pete looks bemused. "Well, when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much-"  
  
"No, no, not that part," Tyler interrupts. "I mean, when did you get here?"  
  
"Like, eight minutes ago," Pete says.  
  
"...no," Tyler says.  
  
Brendon and Patrick appear next to Pete.  
  
"Dude, don't tell me you fainted again," Patrick says.  
  
"He was startled by my presence," Pete explains, smack a kiss to his boyfriend's cheek with a loud _mwah!_ Patrick's face goes red. Tyler would enjoy Patrick's embarrassment, but Joshua Dun appears.  
  
"Hey, are you all right?" Joshua Dun asks, holding out a hand for Tyler. Brendon's making kissy faces behind Joshua Dun's back, and Tyler scowls at him as he hauls himself up with Joshua Dun's help.  
  
"...thanks," he mutters, still glaring at Brendon's stupid, stupid face.  
  
Brendon blows him a kiss.

* * *

 

Tyler may or may not peek into the band room to watch Joshua Dun play drums.

 

* * *

 

Tyler is awesome.  
  
"I am so awesome," he tells Joshua Dun from where he's sprawled out in front of the stairs.  
  
"Okay, dude," Joshua Dun says.  
  
"Also, I think I hit my head," Tyler adds. "There are two Joshua Duns that I see."  
  
The Joshua Duns blink.  
  
"Do you always get hurt, or is it just me?" Joshua Dun asks as he kneels besides Tyler.  
  
"It's just you," Tyler says, yawning. He's feeling sleepy all of a sudden. "I think it's because your mouth makes me gay."  
  
"Yup, you definitely hit your head," Joshua Dun says as he checks Tyler's pupils.  
  
"You have pretty eyes," Tyler comments. "I feel like sleeping."  
  
"Oh, hey, no," Joshua Dun says, shaking Tyler a little. "Don't sleep."  
  
"I'm tired," Tyler complains.  
  
"You have a concussion," Joshua Dun informs him. "Come on, we're going to the nurse."  
  
"Later," Tyler says. "Let's sleep now. You have nice abdominal muscles."  
  
"...right," Joshua Dun says. "Are you going to get up, or do I have to carry you?"  
  
"Sleep," Tyler says.  
  
The world spins suddenly as Tyler feels himself being picked up.  
  
"What?" he asks.  
  
"You weren't moving," Joshua Dun says. He's carrying Tyler bridal-style, what.  
  
"I'm your bride," Tyler says, giggling a little. "Except I have a penis."  
  
(Tyler will later feel very thankful that Joshua Dun did not drop him right there.)  
  
"Not you two again," Mrs. Edwards says as Joshua Dun lays Tyler on one of the cots.  
  
"I'm his bride," Tyler says at the same time Joshua Dun says, "He hit his head."  
  
To her credit, Mrs. Edwards didn't skip a beat.  
  
"I suppose you'll be staying," the nurse says to Joshua Dun as she checks Tyler's eyes.  
  
"Yup," Joshua Dun says.

 

* * *

  
  
"Are you sure this Joshua boy isn't your friend?" his mom asks him as they drive home from the doctor's.  
  
"Yes," Tyler says tiredly.

 

* * *

 

Choir is awesome, because all of Tyler's friends are there.  
  
Choir is horrible, because all of Tyler's friends are there.  
  
"I heard he _carried_ you!" Brendon says gleefully.  
  
"I heard you told him his mouth makes you _gay,"_ Bill says, waggling his eyebrows.  
  
"How do you even know all of this?" Tyler asks.  
  
"Josh told Spencer, and Spencer told Ryan, and Ryan told Greta, and Greta told Bob, and Bob told Mikey, and Mikey told Gee, and Gee told Frank, and Frank told me," Brendon says.  
  
Tyler sighs. Gerard gives him a somewhat apologetic pat on the back.  
  
"Tyler Joseph! Little man!" Gabe booms, walking into the music room. "I heard the word that Dun copped a feel!"  
  
"Jesus Christ," Tyler groans. "How does _he_ know?"  
  
"I," Brendon frowns, "am not entirely sure."  
  
Tyler groans, and Gerard gives him another awkward pat on the back.

* * *

  
  
Tests.  
  
Tyler hates tests.  
  
He hates them almost as much as he hates PE.  
  
Also, he's horrible at science. And Joshua Dun isn't.  
  
And it's possible that Joshua Dun is the best in the class.  
  
And it's possible that Tyler asked Joshua Dun to tutor him after school.  
  
"Ooh, _tutoring,"_ Brendon says, waggling his eyebrows at Tyler. "We all know what _that_ means."  
  
"It means that I won't fail science, you dipshit," Tyler scowls.  
  
"It means that you're getting laid," Brendon corrects.  
  
Tyler blushes. "I won't be getting laid," he says.  
  
"That's what you think," Brendon says.

 

* * *

  
  
"Who's this boy that's coming to tutor you?" his mom asks as Tyler waits by the door.  
  
"Joshua Dun," he says.  
  
His mom nods. "Leave the door open, okay?"  
  
"Why?" Tyler looks back, confused.  
  
"Don't think I don't know what you boys'll get up to if the door stays closed," his mom says with a disturbingly Brendon-like look.  
  
Tyler gapes. "I- no- what?"  
  
"We all know what tutoring means, Tyler," his mom says.  
  
"..." Tyler says articulately.  
  
"Tyler?"  
  
"Joshua Dun's smile makes me feel tingly," Tyler says with wide eyes. "Like I want to throw up, but I don't. And he has pretty eyes. And actual abs, Mom. And he carried me to the nurse. And stayed until you came."  
  
"Okay, Tyler."  
  
"Mom," he says urgently. "Mom, I don't like girls."  
  
"I know, Tyler," his mom says.  
  
"...what?"  
  
"I know that you don't like girls," Tyler's mom says patiently.  
  
"Mom, _I_ didn't even know that I don't like girls!" Tyler yelps.  
  
"Calm down, Tyler," his mom says soothingly.  
  
"Oh my god, Mom, I'm gay," Tyler whimpers. "I'm gay, I like Joshua Dun, oh my god."  
  
"Tyler, calm down, Josh will be here any minute-"  
  
The doorbell rings.  
  
"Ack," Tyler says, and opens the door.  
  
"Hi," Joshua Dun says.  
  
"Yes." Tyler stares at Joshua Dun.  
  
"Um."  
  
"Let the boy in, Tyler," his mom says.  
  
"Right. Hi," Tyler says, letting Joshua Dun into the house.  
  
"Hello," Joshua Dun says. He's holding a backpack and looking bewildered.  
  
They stare at each other.  
  
"Are you all right?" Joshua Dun asks.  
  
"Peachy," Tyler says.  
  
His mom raises an eyebrow. "Are you two going to study, or are you just going to stand and stare at each other?"  
  
"Right, right," Tyler says. "Come on, my bedroom's this way."  
  
"Leave the door open," his mom whispers in a way she probably thinks is subtle.  
  
Just to spite her, Tyler doesn't.

 

* * *

  
  
"I printed out the pig anatomy for you," Joshua Dun says, opening his backpack, "since you didn't really get to take notes."  
  
"Thanks," Tyler says, taking the sheet from him. He doesn't look at it, though. It's a little too soon for that.  
  
Joshua Dun continues to pull different study guides out of his backpack without meeting Tyler's eyes.  
  
"Does my mouth really make you gay?" Joshua Dun asks, not looking up from his backpack.  
  
Tyler chokes a little.  
  
"Because that's okay," Joshua Dun says. "If I make you gay, that is... cool."  
  
"Um."  
  
"MOM WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU AND JOSH ARE HAVING SEX!" Zack shouts from the hallway.  
  
"YOU ARE A TERRIBLE SPY, ZACHARY!" Tyler's mom calls from downstairs.  
  
"WELL, THE DOOR WAS CLOSED! I DON'T WANT TO OPEN IT IF THEY ARE!" Zack yells back.  
  
"TYLER JOSEPH, I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN!" his mom hollers.  
  
"WHAT'S SEX?" Jay asks loudly.  
  
"SOMETHING YOU WON'T HAVE UNTIL YOU'RE MARRIED, OKAY?" Tyler's mom calls to her youngest son.  
  
"WAIT, TYLER'S GAY NOW? WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?" Maddie yells.  
  
"HE'S ALWAYS BEEN GAY!" Tyler's mom yells.  
  
"HE WAS JUST TOO STUPID TO REALIZE!" Zack adds.  
  
"DON'T SAY STUPID!" his mom admonishes.  
  
"SORRY!"  
  
"WHY IS EVERYONE YELLING? JESUS CHRIST!" Tyler's dad bellows.  
  
Everyone shuts up.  
  
Tyler has died, you guys. Really. He's dead.  
  
"Um," Joshua Dun says. He looks like he's torn between embarrassment and amusement.  
  
"Oh my god, I hate my family," Tyler complains weakly.  
  
Joshua Dun giggles a little. "I can see why."  
  
There's a really long, awkward pause.  
  
"Um," Tyler says.  
  
"Do you wanna make out?" Joshua Dun asks.  
  
Tyler's mind has a mild seizure. "What."  
  
"Do you wanna make out?" Joshua Dun asks, as cool as a cucumis sativus.  
  
Tyler stares. Joshua Dun sighs, leans in, and presses his lips to Tyler's.  
  
Holy.  
  
No.  
  
What.  
  
"You okay?" Joshua Dun asks.  
  
"I think my mind just had an orgasm," Tyler says.  
  
Joshua Dun bursts out laughing.

* * *

  
  
Tyler almost fails science.  
  
It's totally worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> tell me if you liked it!
> 
> (i fixed the html you guys!)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Band practice](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6967381) by [slacked](https://archiveofourown.org/users/slacked/pseuds/slacked)




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